Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: The Deposit Has Been Made - 2
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If I had lost the Bologna match or if my performance hadn't been satisfactory, I probably would have handed the card back to my dad.
What money? I would have thought I didn't deserve it, and that I'd just have to do better in next week's game.
But... honestly, I did my part.
This isn't me bragging.
My friends, the coach, the manager, they all said so.
That I did well.
That I really did well, so I should get some proper rest.
So... just for today, wouldn't it be okay to do what I've wanted to do for so long?
Hmm.
But what should I do?
I can't think of anything right off the bat...
"You must be hungry? Wait a minute. Let me see."
As I was lost in thought, my dad, who had changed his clothes, headed for the kitchen.
He started rummaging through the fridge, probably to prepare a meal.
Ah.
Seeing him like that, something I wanted to do suddenly came to mind.
"Uh, Dad."
"Yeah?"
"Can't we eat out?"
"Huh? Eat out?"
"Yes. Let's go out and eat something delicious."
Dad had always taken care of my meals, so just for today, I wanted to take care of his.
I knew it even if I didn't do it myself. How much of a hassle it is to prepare every single meal.
Dad didn't have to go through the trouble for me anymore...
"So... you wanted to eat something delicious..."
...Huh?
Dad closed the fridge door with a *thud* and made a sullen expression.
Ah, no. Wait a second.
I think he's misunderstanding something.
I didn't mean that his cooking wasn't delicious and that's why I wanted to go out for something good...
"Huh? Really? Hehe. My son's all grown up."
After I frantically explained, Dad finally laughed. Phew.
Anyway, we decided to call Ji-woo and have a meal together, so we started getting ready.
*
"Wow, the atmosphere here is great... Right?"
"It's amazing. The last place was so crowded it was dizzying."
"That's right. I much prefer places like this."
"Good, good."
Dad and Ji-woo looked around the restaurant with exaggerated gestures.
They were probably trying to comfort me... Ugh. I'm thankful, but it's not really comforting.
What I mean is...
Until we left the house, I was full of bravado.
I was going to buy everything expensive, go to the most famous place here, and stride in confidently.
We searched and arrived at the restaurant, but what do you know. We got rejected at the entrance. We hadn't made a reservation in advance.
As it turned out, it was a restaurant so famous you needed a reservation a day in advance to even get a seat.
Thanks to that, we were embarrassed for the first time.
With no other choice, we went to the restaurant next door, but it was the same story.
We had no choice but to wander around and ended up here, at this restaurant.
It seems like a decently old restaurant, but... sigh. They say only those who have eaten meat know how to enjoy it. It seems the same goes for money; only those who have spent it know how to spend it well.
I wanted to be cool! You know? Go to a fancy place and just! Without even looking at the price! Order all sorts of expensive things and swipe the card with a flourish...
Tch.
"What's good... This looks okay too... Ah, this seems fine..."
Ji-woo muttered while looking at the menu.
Ji-woo takes a long time to choose a menu because there's nothing he can't eat.
"Hmm... the prices are more than I thought..."
Dad also couldn't make a choice readily.
Ever since coming to Italy, when we eat out occasionally, Dad always looks at the price first.
I'd eat expensive meat as an athlete, while Dad would just eat things like fried rice or risotto.
This won't do.
I have to fulfill my wish here, at the very least.
"I'll just decide for us."
"Huh?"
"You will?"
"Today, I'm ordering everything I want to eat."
I called the waiter and ordered all the menu items Dad and Ji-woo had been eyeing. On top of that, I added the most expensive items on the menu.
"Aren't you ordering too much?"
"Seriously. You could just order one of each..."
"It's the payer's discretion."
Dad and Ji-woo tried to stop me, but I had to be firm today.
Tch. Don't try to stop me.
I want to be cool for just one day.
"It's coming out."
"Wow... insane!"
As I was hyping myself up, the food we ordered began to come out one by one.
A steak for each of us, pasta, pizza, and even a huge lobster.
The table was packed full.
...I did order a lot. We can take the leftovers if there are any.
"Wow, this is crazy..."
"It does look good."
Seeing Ji-woo immediately take out his phone to take pictures, and Dad smacking his lips even while saying we ordered too much, my mood lifted a little.
Watching them, I suddenly remembered why I wanted to make so much money in the first place.
I... was always the one causing worry for those around me.
I was a kid with many shortcomings.
Because of that, I caused a lot of worry and received a lot of help.
I wanted to repay the people who worried about me in the same way.
So that they could live without having to worry about anything from now on.
"Uh... is it okay if I have just one glass of beer?"
Dad asked cautiously, and I couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Of course it's okay."
Nothing is off-limits now.
Because these grateful people worked so hard for me, I'm going to work hard for them from now on.
*
"Thanks for the meal."
"Ugh, I'm so full..."
We came to this restaurant because of various circumstances, but the meal was satisfying.
It's kind of like a hidden gem?
Maybe fancy restaurants just don't suit me after all.
As we were all leaning back in our chairs, full...
"Your dessert has arrived."
The dessert came out. It was the tiramisu Ji-woo had wanted. The waiter who placed the bowls in front of us suddenly spoke to me.
"I know this is a huge imposition, but would it be possible to get an autograph after your meal?"
"...Huh? M-me?"
I was so startled I looked at the waiter.
It was an elderly man with impeccably neat suit and neatly combed-back white hair.
It was the first time I'd seen such a formal waiter since coming to Italy, but more importantly... how did he recognize me?
"Ah, well. If you want, I can do it right now... but how do you know me?"
"Yes. I know you."
"How do you know me...?"
The waiter smiled kindly and answered.
"I'm a long-time fan of Fiorentina. I go to the games occasionally. I saw yesterday's match too."
"Ah... thank you."
Wow, even if he's a fan, he even watched our game.
When I asked where I should sign, the waiter told me to wait a moment and went back.
A moment later, the waiter returned with a jersey in his hand, covered in what looked like doodles.
It was quite an old jersey... ah, on closer inspection, they weren't doodles, they were autographs.
The waiter unfolded the jersey for me to see and said with a bright smile.
"This is my treasure. I've had it since the 80s. See, here's Giancarlo Antognoni's signature, this is Gabriel Batistuta, here's Roberto Baggio, and also..."
He boasted about the autographs on the jersey as if he were a child introducing his toys.
I couldn't make out the names, but from the way Dad would occasionally go "Whoa," I figured they must be famous players.
"It's my lifelong hobby. This is my most treasured collection. Let's see... I'd be grateful if you could sign right here."
"Ah, yes. But... I'm not sure if it's okay for me to sign such a precious thing..."
My hand was trembling for no reason.
It was a jersey filled with this gentleman's life story, far too precious for my pathetic autograph.
But the waiter smiled brightly.
"It'll become even more precious once you sign it."
"Ah... I, I'll try."
Ah, I'm nervous.
I took the autograph pen the waiter gave me, practiced a few times in the air for no reason, and then put all my concentration into writing my name, one stroke at a time.
Phew.
Thankfully, I didn't make a mistake.
The waiter smiled brightly again.
"Thank you. I think I showed you Antognoni's signature first earlier."
"Uh... I think you did."
"Someday, the day might come when I can boast about this new signature I got today first. Thank you for taking the time."
The waiter said his greetings and went back, and I was left in a daze before letting out a sigh.
I still don't get it.
Putting my autograph on such a precious thing...
"What did he say?"
Ji-woo, who was propping his chin on his hands, asked, so I told him exactly what the waiter had said.
Then Ji-woo's eyes sparkled.
"Wow... that's kind of romantic."
Romantic. Is that so?
Anyway.
Dad and Ji-woo looked at me with proud eyes. That gaze made me feel proud, but at the same time a little embarrassed, so I just spooned some tiramisu. Mmm, sweet.
"..."
Hmm...
As I ate the dessert, I felt a strange feeling.
This feeling is a bit similar to the one I felt after returning from the Empoli away game.
I don't know.
"Whoa, it's really sweet."
"So it's delicious, right?"
I smiled at Dad and Ji-woo.
*
"Haaaah... spending money is tiring too..."
I collapse onto the bed.
Ugh. Maybe because I did something I don't usually do, I'm exhausted. Spending money isn't easy either.
After finishing our meal at the restaurant, we went to the biggest shopping mall in the city. We went to buy a new pair of soccer cleats and a few workout outfits.
Dad said he didn't want anything. He said he didn't need clothes, and that his shoes were fine.
But as we were walking, at some point Dad suddenly disappeared. So Ji-woo and I hurriedly looked for him, and we found him in a golf supply store.
He was wandering around there as if he were possessed, so Ji-woo and I couldn't help but laugh.
He looked like a boy who couldn't leave the toy aisle.
Men will be men, I guess.
Anyway, we bought him some golf balls and a few golf clubs.
Originally, I was going to buy him the whole set with the bag, the best one, but whoa. It was a bit more expensive than I thought.
So I tried to buy a cheaper one, but Dad said it's better to buy one good one instead, so that's what we did.
Well, we can just collect them one by one.
"...Haha."
At first, he said he didn't need to buy it.
But as soon as we bought it for him, he kept looking at it from different angles, muttering about its weight and material.
Just like I used to when Dad bought me a toy.
It felt satisfying.
"I'm really fine."
"What would I be if you went back empty-handed?"
We bought clothes and soccer shoes for Ji-woo too.
He also said he was fine at first... but he took the longest to choose. How many times did he go back and forth to the fitting room just to pick one item of clothing?
I told him to just buy everything if he was going to be like that, but he wouldn't listen. Dad, being a coward, left me behind and disappeared. Thanks to that, I was completely drained from picking out Ji-woo's clothes.
Well, still...
"..."
Seeing Ji-woo's changed profile picture, I couldn't help but chuckle.
He's using the clothes and shoes we bought today as his profile.
"...Cute."
It was a fulfilling day.
···
"So, what do you think?"
"Hmm. It's a sensitive issue, that's for sure."
"It feels a bit wrong to ask him directly..."
"That's also a bit of a problem."
The autumn sun shines down on the Fiorentina training ground.
Manager Toni Lucco and Coach Luca are deep in thought, discussing something seriously.
The topic of discussion must not be a light one, as both of them have grim expressions.
The issue is whether or not to field Lee Ji-an in this weekend's match.
Why is this an issue? Because this week's opponent is none other than Juventus.
"Ha, this is not an easy problem."
"To be honest, if you think about it simply, you could just play him."
"But not much time has passed yet."
Thinking about it simply, it wasn't really a difficult dilemma. There's no reason not to play the current Lee Ji-an. He grows visibly with every single game he plays.
Especially since the opponent is a strong team like Juventus, and considering Fiorentina's current position in the league, it's even more so.
Last season, Fiorentina finished 13th in Serie A. This generally means they'll face more strong teams than weak teams in the league.
The current U17 team is at the top of its group, but in the end, for the sake of their future, the experience of facing a strong team like Juventus is precious and rare.
From that perspective, there's no reason not to give Lee Ji-an that precious opportunity.
However...
The problem is that Juventus holds a special meaning for Lee Ji-an.
Lee Ji-an was the one who couldn't adapt at Juventus and even went through an unpleasant incident there.
And it was just last year. The problem is that he'll be facing familiar faces on the pitch.
Even though Lee Ji-an has changed a lot over the past few weeks and has shown growth in his mentality.
Trauma is not something that can be fixed easily in a short amount of time.
So it's not strange at all that Manager Toni Lucco and Coach Luca are agonizing over this.
"Hmm..."
"In the end, his own will seems to be the most important factor..."
"For now, it's best to observe, right? How much passion he has for training."
"I think so. It would be good not to play him at all, but still, if the kid finds the courage, it could be an opportunity for him to grow immensely in an instant."
Of course, Lee Ji-an is still young and has plenty of time.
He's only 16 years old.
He'll have many more opportunities to grow and gain experience, even if it's not this one.
However, Manager Toni Lucco already believed that in terms of skill, Lee Ji-an wouldn't be lacking even if he were to join the first team right now.
Not a year or two from now, but right at this moment.
But to do that, he needs to completely resolve the instability in his mentality first.
Which is why.
"Courage..."
Manager Toni Lucco wanted to see Lee Ji-an face Juventus.
There's no more certain cure than crushing them with his own hands.
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